New Conservative legislation that changes the gun licensing system cleared a House of Commons committee last week and is on track to become law before the summer recess — and a likely fall election.

Bill C-42, dubbed the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act, has drawn sharp criticism even within the sport-shooting community but nonetheless remains grist for Conservative get-out-the-vote efforts, especially in rural Canada.

Ian Avery, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters, said that while "the rhetoric has died down quite a bit" around the gun control issue since the long-gun registry was abolished in 2012, it remains a top concern for the firearms community.

"It is still a vote-mover and it is still a vote-getter for the Conservative party," said Avery.

The latest legislation has had a somewhat rocky ride.

Introduced last Oct. 7, it was set to be debated in the Commons the day after a lone gunman shot dead a ceremonial guard at the National War Memorial and then stormed Parliament Hill, where he died in a hail of bullets.

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The bill removes some of the paperwork and penalties for gun licensing and transportation, provides a six-month grace period for lapsed licenses, gives cabinet decision-making power over how guns are classified, makes mandatory gun prohibitions for violent offenders and domestic assaults, and makes it compulsory to pass a firearms course in order to be licensed.

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Gun control advocates, meanwhile, argue exactly the opposite, and are especially concerned about relaxed rules governing the transport of firearms and the ability of politicians to override the RCMP on decisions about which weapons should be restricted or prohibited.

This is just a "suck up to the voters" bill. Even though there should be American style gun laws in Canada, this bill does not really change much of anything. It is just a bunch of noise and no substance.